Bortles' decision to throw at combine endorsed by NFL leaders

Jacksonville, Minnesota general managers say they are eager to evaluate more than just completed passes during combine drills

February 21, 2014|By Paul Tenorio, Orlando Sentinel

INDIANAPOLIS — Quarterbacks who opt to throw at the NFL Scouting Combine face high risks.

The perception is a few errant passes can seriously hurt a player's draft status.

For the NFL decision-makers evaluating college football's top prospects, however, the positives far outweigh any downside. Multiple NFL general managers endorsed former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles' decision to take part in throwing drills at the combine.

"I think it shows a level of competitiveness if someone wants to go out there and show the whole world," said Jacksonville Jaguars general manager David Caldwell, whose team holds the No. 3 overall pick. "This is the biggest stage you're going to have to workout, on national TV, on NFL Network, and you've got every NFL executive here, so why not do it here and save yourself a bunch of private workouts."

Not every quarterback is willing to take that risk.

Some speculate there is more to lose than gain by throwing here. Quarterbacks who choose to take part in the drills, which will be held on Sunday, face challenges. The passers are throwing to receivers they do not know and there is no opportunity to develop timing. They are also throwing in front of more NFL decision-makers than any other stage in front of with a national TV audience.

In past years, top prospects have passed on the drills. This time around, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, another contender for the No. 1 overall pick, and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr have opted not to throw.

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he supported the decision to take part in the drills. Throwing allows NFL teams an extra opportunity to get an up-close look at players and measure skills beyond the obvious statistics, he said. The sessions are not done just to gauge the accuracy of a quarterback, but also as a chance for teams to breakdown technical skill.

Spielman said the combine provides teams with different camera angles to evaluate throwing motion, footwork and other details not available elsewhere.

"It gives our coaches an opportunity to see, 'Well, we can correct this or we can't correct that,'" Spielman said. "You see his throwing motion. Just because he doesn't have timing with a specific receiver, we know that, that's part of this. … It gives you a chance to see if there's anything from a technical standpoint that they need to work on or correct, and it's a chance for these guys to go out there and compete. …

"It's what you put the emphasis on. I put the emphasis on, [if] the guy's got a chance to compete, go out there and compete."

For Bortles, who saw his draft stock soar late in his redshirt junior season, that unique stage may provide the push needed to be the first quarterback off the board in May. Bortles made the announcement that he would throw on Twitter just a day before he got on a plane to the combine.

It was a rare decision for a quarterback whose name could be the first called in May's NFL Draft, but for the ultra-competitive Bortles, it was an opportunity to squash commentary from some of his critics.

"It's just saying look I've got nothing to hide, this is who I am, this is what I can do," Bortles told SportsTalk 1080 The Team earlier this month, when asked why he might decide to throw. "Everybody knows you're not set up to be successful and look good at the combine. … I think coaches and guys up in the organization want to see how you handle adversity and how you get through uncomfortable situations. I think they want to see how you handle that kind of stuff."